---
title: Clean Sweep
years:
- '1974'
params:
  specs:
  - label: year of release
    value: '1974'
  - label: companies
    value: RamTek
  - label: type
    value: game
  - label: media
    value: arcade cabinet
  - label: systems
    value: Arcade
  - label: number of players
    value: 1 - 2 players (alternate)
  - label: staff
    value: Howell Ivey
  screenshots:
  - title: ''
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: ''
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: ''
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: ''
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: from official flyer
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: arcade cabinet
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  - title: arcade cabinet - detail
    subtitle: ''
    text: ''
    image: null
  machines:
  - /museum/misc-arcade-video-games
  company: /companies/misc
  oc_id: 696
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230127051226/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/software_detail.asp?id=696
    date: '2023-01-27'
---

Clean Sweep is an obscure early videogame designed by Howell Ivey in 1974.

Players try to erase a field of dots by directing a bouncing ball with a joystick-controlled paddle that is moved horizontally across the bottom of the screen. Each time the ball passes over a dot, the dot gets erased and the player gets a point. If he erases all the dots, he scores a "clean sweep" and can win a free game.

Though Clean Sweep is clearly a variation around the popular pong theme of the time, this game looks more like a mix between [Breakout](/software/breakout/) (destroy everything up there with your paddle) and [Pac-Man](/software/pac-man-also-known-as-puck-man-jap/) (eat all the dots), but ... many years in advance!!! Breakout was released in 1976 and Pac-Man in 1980. Quite impressive.

Clean Sweep is a very original game for the time, which must have inspired other designers/manufacturers.

It's more harder than it seems, as the ball gets faster very quickly.